[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1994, Book I)]
[June 6, 1994]
[Page 1041]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



[[Page 1041]]


Remarks Commemorating the United States Navy Role in the 
Normandy Invasion
June 6, 1994

    Thank you very much, Mr. Rockwell, Mr. Secretary, Admiral, Captain 
Sprigg, Chaplains, distinguished leaders of the Congress, the Cabinet, 
members of the Armed Services, veterans, family, and friends. This new 
and historically accurate dawn reminds us of that dawn 50 years ago that 
brought a new era, when thousands of warships assembled to begin 
Europe's liberation. Allied naval guns unleashed a storm of fire on 
Normandy's beaches as the sky brightened to a cold gray. Legions of 
young men packed into landing crafts set out to take those beaches.
    After more than a year of brilliant planning by General Eisenhower 
and his Allied staff and those who were here even before and one 
agonizing weather-caused delay, D-Day arrived at last, exactly 50 years 
ago this day. We gather in the calm after sunrise today to remember that 
fateful morning, the pivot point of the war, perhaps the pivot point of 
the 20th century.
    But we should never forget that at this hour on June 6, 1944, 
victory seemed far from certain. The weather was menacing, the seas were 
churning, the enemy was dug in. Though the plans had been prepared in 
great detail, chaos of battle can overwhelm the best laid plans, and for 
some of our units the plans went awry. Indeed, General Eisenhower had 
already drafted a statement in case the operation did not succeed.
    As H-Hour approached, everyone in the invasion was forced to prepare 
in his own way. We know now from the records then that some soldiers and 
sailors wrote to their wives back home or to children they had never 
held. Some played dice, hoping for a string of good luck. Others tried 
to read, and many simply prayed. One Jewish officer, Captain Irving 
Gray, asked the chaplain on his landing craft to lead a prayer ``to the 
God in whom we all believe, whether Protestant or Catholic or Jew, that 
our mission might be accomplished and that we may be brought safely home 
again.''
    Back home, as news of the invasion reached our fellow Americans, 
Americans spoke softly to God. In one Brooklyn shipyard, welders knelt 
down on the decks of their Liberty ship and said together the Lord's 
Prayer. The soldiers who landed on Utah and Omaha needed those prayers, 
for they entered a scene of terrible carnage. Thousands would never 
return. For those who did, it was faith in their Maker's mercy and their 
own ability that helped to carry the day. It was also raw courage and 
love of freedom and country.
    One of the most stirring tales of D-Day is that to which the 
Secretary of the Navy has already referred, the tale of the U.S.S. 
Corry. Ripped by mines while blasting enemy positions on Utah Beach, the 
Corry began to go under. But one man stayed aboard. He climbed the 
stern, removed the flag, and swam and scrambled to the main mast. There, 
he ran up the flag. And as he swam off, our flag opened into the breeze. 
In the Corry's destruction, there was no defeat. Today, the wreckage of 
that ship lies directly beneath us, an unseen monument to those who 
helped to win this great war. Thirteen of the Corry's crew rest there as 
well, and these waters are forever sanctified by their sacrifice.
    Fifty years ago, General Eisenhower concluded his order of the day 
with these words: ``Let us all beseech the blessing of almighty God upon 
this great and noble undertaking.'' As we begin this new day of 
remembrance, let us also ask God's blessing for all those who died for 
freedom 50 years ago and for the Americans who carry on their noble work 
today. May God bless them, and may God bless America.

Note: The President spoke at 7:21 a.m. aboard the U.S.S. George 
Washington off the coast of Normandy, France. In his remarks, he 
referred to Dean Rockwell, D-Day veteran who introduced the President, 
and Adm. J.M. Boorda, commander in chief, U.S. Naval Forces Europe. A 
tape was not available for verification of the content of these remarks.